Removable roller-support for cable railways



(No Model.) 2 SheetsSheet 1.

J. WALKER.

REMOVABLE ROLLER SUPPORT FOR CABLE RAILWAYS. No. 441,456. Patented Nov. 25, 1890.

11/12vlllzllllfllmVIII/111,1111/1/111/ 111/1/7fl @Fll QM ZOZZ/Z/ 5W m: scams vz'rens cm, movmrmd wnsnmnmu, 0. c

(No Model.) '2 SheetsSheet 2,

J. WALKER. REMOVABLE ROLLER SUPPORT I'OR CABLE RAILWAYS. No. 441,456. Patented'Nov. 25, 1890.

i i. n i n. K II h E \N|TNEEEEE INVENT E11 1- 4 QW/M fid zw UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN \VALKER, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO,

REMOVABLE ROLLER-SUPPORT FOR CABLE RAILWAYS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 441,456, dated November 25, 1890.

Application filed March 12, 1890- Serial No. 343,649. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be 1t known that I, J OHN WALKER, of the city of Cleveland, in the county of Ouyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented certain Improvements in Removable Rollers and their Supports for Cable Railways, of which the following is a specification.

The object of this invention is to provide means whereby the rollers which support the cable within the conduit may be applied to the conduit and underneath the cable therein while the latter is in motion and held thereat without the employment of bolts or any other extraneous fastening devices, as will hereinafter fully appear.

In carrying out my invention I provide the conduit at the places where the carryingrollers are to be situated with lateral apertures, and secure to the conduit over these apertures open top chambers which reach to the surface of the street, where they are fitted with suitable removable floor-plates. To each one of these chambers I introduce a frame carrying a roller adapted to support the cable and furnished with trunnions which rest in grooved lugs constructed so as to allow the completely-equipped frame to slide forward and bring the front end thereof over a step, which sustains it. The frame is properly weighted to counterbalance the roller, and provided with a handle whereby the equipped frame is held as lowered and placed in position.

In the further description of the said i11- vention which follows reference is made to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof, and in which- Figure 1 is a transverse section of the conduit and one of the chambers, together with one rail of the car-track, its supporting devices, and the means whereby they are tied to the conduit. Fig. 2 is a cross-section of Fig. 1, taken on the dotted line 00 00. Fig. 3 is a top view of a carrier-pulley andits frame on an enlarged scale; Fig. 4, a cross-section of Fig. 3, taken on the dotted line 3/ y, and Fig. 5, a detail.

Similar letters of reference indicate similar parts in all the figures.

Referring to the drawings, A represents the conduit formed in the present case of a lower cast-iron channel a in suitable lengths, flanged at the upper edges, and the rolled plates at, bolted to it and separated at the top to form the grip-slot. Wherever a carrierroller is to be placed in the conduit the lower cast-section of the same is provided with an aperture B, extending from its upper edge to the bottom, as shown in Fig. 1.

In case the conduit has a rounded bottom, as shown in the drawings, the same is provided with a flanged nozzle 1) to bring its lower edge out to a line corresponding with the side of the conduit. Over this aperture is bolted a chamber 0, which reaches from the bottom of the conduit to the'surface of the ground.

D is a removable roughened floor-plate strengthened by means of ribs 0, which rests on a recessed lip d on the side and the two ends of the chamber. The side of the floorplate next to the conduit is supported by means of a strip 6, which connects the two ends of the chamber together.

E is the frame which supports the roller F within the conduit. This frame is arranged with two pockets f, in which are placed lignumvitae blocks g, which are bored to receive the ends of the spindle h of the carrier-pulley or roller F. The frame E has trunnions c', which rest in grooved lugs j, cast to the inside of the chamber. The bottoms of the grooves in the lugs j are inclined, in order that when the trunnions 2' rest on them the entire frame has a tendency to move forward and thereby prevent the inner end thereof from slipping off the step 70, which projects from the chamber and upon which it rests. The step is notched out in the center, Fig. 5, to accommodate a portion of the frame, which is denoted by Z. By this interlocking of the adjoining parts of the frame and step the former is prevented from being moved longitudinally of the conduit by the action of the cable II on the roller.

The portion of the frame E forward of the trunnions is ribbed, so as to be merely a skeleton and to make it as light as is consistent with the required strength, while the other portion or that in the rear of the trunnions is made solid or not ribbed, in order that it may constitute a counter-balance for the roller.

The central portion of the rear extremity of the frame E is rounded to give a comfortable hand-hold.-

lhe lignum-vitai blocks 9 are each provided with an oil-box at, having a perforated circular depression in its lid, which is made of sheetlead to prevent noise from rattling. The circular depressions are for the purpose of guiding oil to the boxes in filling.

I is one rail of the car-track seated on the chair J which is tied to the conduit by means of diagonal braces K.

To insert one of the equipped frames to the conduit after the removal of the floor-plate, the same is grasped by the handle and lowered to the chamber while in the position shown by its dotted delineation until the trunnions enter the slots of the lugs j. The frame is then allowed to gradually assume its proper position, but at the same time it is held back until its front end has passed the step 7.1, when it is released.

It will be seen that no fastening-bolts are employed to hold the equipped frame in position, and that the operation of inserting; or removing a frame and roller is extremely simple, and at the same time free from danger, as the attendant is not required to bring his hands or any other part of his body near to the cable.

I claim as my invention- 1. A cable-conduit having a lateral aperture and a chamber adjacent to the conduit extending above the lateral aperture thereof and provided with inner lugs, combined with a counterpoised frame having trunnions journaled in said lugs and provided with pockets, roller-bearings supported in said pockets, and a roller whose shaft rests in said bearings, substantially as set forth.

2. A cable-conduit having a lateral aperture, a chamber adjacent to the conduit extending above the lateral aperture thereof, and a removable floor-plate, combined with aoonntel-poised frame having trunnions jonrnaled in said lugs and provided with pockets, roller-bearings supported in said pockets, and a roller whose shaft rests in said bearings, substantially as set forth.

3. A roller-supporting frame with pockets formed therein and adapted for application to a cable'condnit, combined with blocks of lignu m-vitze serving as bearings for a roller, and oil-boxes secured to the tops of said blocks, substantially as set forth.

4. A roller-supporting frame having trunnions, combined with sustaining-lugs having the cavities in which the trunnions are supported inclined toward the conduit to which the frame is applied, whereby said frame will have a tendency to remain in a forward position, substantially as set forth.

5. A cable-conduit having a step or stop forming a part thereof, combined with a cableroller-supporting frame Whose front end is adapted to be engaged with said step or stop and thus be prevented from movement in the direction of the course of the cable which runs upon the roller, substantially as set forth.

0. A cable conduit having an internal notched step, combined with a roller-support ing frame hung upon pivoted trunnions and having a portion interlocking with said notched step, substantially as set forth.

JOHN WALKER.

Witnesses:

.I. W. SMITH, Z. M. TIUBBELL. 

